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All the snow Canada could muster didn’t slow Rob White in his single-minded pursuit to become a professional tennis player.

Shovel in hand, White cleared the surface in front of the wall at the London Life courts north of Oxford St., so he could hone ground strokes he dreamed would carry him to glory.

His passion is on the minds of family and friends as they prepare for his memorial service Saturday. White died July 15 at age 52.

“He was one of the top junior (tennis) players in Canada,” said Bill Anderson, who competed with White and now is head tennis pro at Greenhills Golf Club in Lambeth.

Quiet and easy-going off the court, White was a natural athlete, excelling in hockey and baseball before trying tennis around age 13. Soon, he was playing tennis exclusively.

“He just picked up a racket and that became the end of it,” his sister Pam Coulstring said.

During a tennis era that featured pros as famous for their outbursts as their play — think Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe — White modelled his play and composure on a star whose cool and steady play left many wondering if he had Nordic ice in his veins, Bjorn Borg.

“He was a real gentleman,” Coulstring said of her brother.

The smallish White didn’t have a big serve or an aggressive net game, wearing out opponents with flawless play from the baseline.

“He could rally forever. He would never miss,” Anderson said.

White rose up the junior ranks, battling the top-ranked players in Canada and toiling tirelessly to try to reach the summit. He was courted, first with scholarship offers to top American schools, then by the celebrity set: He gave lessons to television star Stacy Keach.

But his path to the top came to a stop in his mid 20s when he began suffering from the effects of schizophrenia.

“He lost all interest, his passion. He didn’t want to compete. He was through,” said his brother John White.

His champion was his father, Raymond, a natural athlete himself and an outgoing school teacher who found his perfect companion in his son.

“(Rob’s illness) broke my father’s heart, but he always advocated for him to get well,” Coulstring said. Raymond White died this year.

Treatment stabilized his illness but White never picked up a tennis racket again, at least not for himself, returning to the court only to help his sister, Amy, stay active after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.